University of Florida Homepage
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Chinese Studies

About Chinese StudiesForbidden City_2

Chinese is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by over one billion people as their native tongue.  Most common among the five major regional forms of Chinese is “Mandarin” (Putonghua / Guoyu), which is based upon the Beijing dialect and is the official language of both the PRC and Taiwan.  The written language is the same for all varieties of Chinese.  An FLL specialization in Chinese Studies develops proficiency in Chinese language and acquaints students with the literature and cultural history of China.  Courses are also available for those interested in business Chinese, film, and women’s studies.

This major provides students with the foundation for further work at the graduate level in East Asian studies or allied fields (linguistics, history, religion, and art history).  An FLL — Chinese Specialization major is excellent general preparation for entry to professional schools (medicine, law), foreign service, diplomacy, translation, business, import and export of information and culture, museums and libraries, tourism, and the like.

News / Announcements

Exit Requirements for Chinese Majors

All Chinese majors must take an exit exam and submit a self-selected paper before being certified to graduate.

Information about the exit exam:

  1. STAMP TEST INFORMATION (STAMP4S Test Taker Guide [pdf])
    Please consult the following link for more information about the STAMP 4S: https://avantassessment.com/stamp4s/test-taker-guide.
  2. Contact Dr. Shu-Han Yeh (yehs@ufl.edu) for the Exit Exam information.

Information about the exit paper:

  1. Self-selected paper registration form.
  2. Combine the completed form and your self-selected paper or senior thesis as one document, then submit to the eLearning course site: “Self-Selected Paper or Senior Thesis.”

Chinese Placement Test

Beginning, intermediate, and advanced Chinese language courses require a placement test administered by faculty in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.  Upcoming testing dates, times and the testing location will be announced.

Foreign Language Proficiency Exam

UF students who wish to be exempted from a foreign language requirement (Mandarin Chinese) may register for BYU’s online FLATS exam. Please refer to the CLAS website (https://academicresources.clas.ufl.edu/testing/flpe/) for test registration information. The China Unit doesn’t provide language proficiency verification in Mandarin.

Chen Xiangmei Award 2024

For this award, please contact EAC scholarship advisor: Dr. Stephan N. Kory for details at skory@ufl.edu.

Application deadline is TBA.

For further information, click on the following link:

Calligraphy Display at Shanghai

This summer four of Ruth Sheng’s students’ work from her calligraphy class of 2008 were selected and exhibited in an International Faculty-Student calligraphy Exhibition at the Confucius Temple in Shanghai. The exhibition includes total 100 pieces of calligraphy and painting. It was sponsored by the Association of Chinese Calligraphy and Art in Shanghai in collaboration with Confucius Classroom in Denver, Colorado. Currently those four students calligraphy pieces are on loan showing in the Calligraphy Exhibition at Colorado College.

UF student Brian Borse won first place in a Chinese speech competition in Taiwan

Brian Brose, a former Chinese major from UF is currently studying Chinese language in Mandarin Center, National Taiwan Normal University. He recently won the first place out of 70 contestants in “The 36th Foreign Students’ Chinese Speech Competition” sponsored by the National Dr. Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hall. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in Chinese Literature in Taiwan.